Take My Hand
by Robyn-in-the-air
Summary: Regulus, looking anywhere but at Sirius, said softly, "Siri, you know I don't really care that you're in Gryffindor, right? I mean, sure it would have been nice if you got into Slytherin, but it doesn't matter that much." Sirius felt tears prick his eyes, "I know, Reggie. I know."


This fic is very heavily based on something I saw on Pinterest, so if you've seen that, then the dialogue in this might look familiar.

I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I own the thing this is based on.

* * *

He was going to do it. This was the day. He couldn't take it anymore, living in this miserable house and miserable family. It was too much now - too much to hold onto the notion that one day, _one day_ , they'd be proud of him, _one day,_ they'd care _,_ they'd say, _We love you, Sirius, no matter what house some stupid hat chooses for you, we love you for who you are._

But it was never going to happen. And now he wasn't sure if he even wanted it to.

He knew what his parents thought of muggles, and their newfound fascination with this _Dark Lord_ terrified him more than he cared to tell his friends.

So he stood there, the screeching voice of his mother, the reprimanding, condescending tone of his father echoing in his ears, his face stinging and body aching from the beating that had just taken place, and made a decision. He was fourteen now, old enough to live on his own, and even if he wasn't, he was sure James's parents wouldn't mind taking him in. It was all sorted. He would be fine. There was only one problem.

Regulus.

His little brother had always been their parents' favorite even before they attended Hogwarts. Quiet and reserved, studious and obedient, Reg embodied the perfect son Walburga and Orion Black had expected when they'd had Sirius. But he was still young, still susceptible to change. He'd always been at least the tiny bit conflicted, and watching his older brother, _his unbreakable big brother,_ weep at the hands of their father had broken him, just a little. Sirius knew this.

He had discovered this a long time ago, when he was still young and didn't want his tiny little brother to see him cry, so he'd tried his best to make sure he and his father were alone whenever it happened. Regulus didn't need to see the monstrosities that occurred in his family, not when he was so young, _just twelve._

He walked calmly to his room, fully aware of Regulus, pale and wide-eyed, standing in the doorway. This was maybe the third time he had ever seen Orion lay a hand on Sirius and it shook him. He'd always known his parents weren't completely _good,_ and he'd lie awake at night sometimes, wondering _why they hated Siri so much,_ but the level of _loathing_ he'd seen today brought him to tears. And the sight of his brother angrily packing his trunk only made it worse.

Both of them knew what was happening. And they'd both seen it coming.

Sirius stopped. Sighed.

Regulus held his breath.

He collapsed onto the bed and looked around his room, taking in the Gryffindor colors, the posters of half naked women that he'd put up for no other reason than to spite his parents.

He buried his face in his hands and let out a half-hysterical laugh. Looked up at Regulus.

"Leave with me," he blurted at the same time as Regulus cried desperately, "Stay."

They looked at each other. Sirius wondered if he'd ever seen Regulus look this scared. Once again, they said at the same time, "I can't."

The silence was only broken by Regulus's broken sobs.

Sirius had never seen Regulus cry this heartbrokenly, had only ever seen him shy and confused, innocent and _his precious little brother._

He had to go.

So he steeled himself, threw the rest of his clothes into the trunk and stood in the middle of the bedroom, fighting the urge to engulf Regulus, _Reggie,_ into a bone-crushing hug.

" _Siri! Siri, where are you?"_

" _I'm right here, Reggie, calm down," Sirius assured him. He steadied Regulus's hands on the broom to stop the trembling._

" _Siri, they'll come back, and they'll see, we can't-"_

" _Reg. Calm. Down. It'll be alright, you know they're at Uncle Alphard's Manor and they always take forever there. Just concentrate on balancing on the broom."_

 _Regulus glanced at Sirius worriedly one more time, then focused his attention on not falling off his brother's broom._

" _Good, now use your hands to steer - no not that far!" He yelled as Regulus almost toppled over._

" _Sorry! Sorry, I don't know, Siri," Regulus bit his lip nervously and straightened the broom._

" _It's okay, Reggie, practice makes perfect, right? Come on, try again," Sirius encouraged._

 _Regulus took a deep breath and gently maneuvered the broom through the air. "I"m doing it! Look, Siri, I'm doing it!" He exclaimed._

" _I know you are, Reggie," Sirius laughed. "Now come on down, they'll be back soon."_

" _Ok," Regulus breathed, still on a high from the flying._

 _As soon as he touched down, he barreled into Sirius and wrapped his arms around him. "Thanks, Siri," he mumbled shyly into his brother's shirt._

 _Sirius, still not entirely sure what was happening - Regulus had never been the overly emotional type - hugged his brother tightly and closed his eyes._

" _You're welcome, Reggie," he smiled._

 _Breaking out of Sirius's hold, Regulus asked curiously, "Why do you call me Reggie?"_

" _Why do you call me Siri?" He countered._

" _No - I mean - I haven't been that great of - of a brother to you? I mean, Mother and Father yell at you and -" he frowned, then continued, "- and I don't really do anything - and I'm sorry, I_ am _, I just get really scared -"_

" _You're only 10, Reggie. I don't expect you to do anything like that. Besides, I'm fine. And the only reason I call you Reggie is so you can be someone other than what Mother and Father want you to be_ all the time _." Sirius reassured._

 _Regulus, looking anywhere but at Sirius, said softly, "Siri, you know I don't really care that you're in Gryffindor, right? I mean, sure it would have been nice if you got into Slytherin, but it doesn't matter_ that _much."_

 _Sirius felt tears prick his eyes, "I know, Reggie. I know."_

"Siri, are you going to come back?" Regulus asked, knowing the answer, but unable to stop himself from asking.

"You know I'm not, Reggie, I can't. Didn't you see what - what happened out there?" He looked at his brother incredulously.

"I know," Regulus sobbed, "I just - _Sirius."_ He inhaled sharply and turned away, struggling to keep his composure. After taking a few deep breaths, he turned back, and this time spoke steadily.

"Go, then."

Sirius stared at his brother. His _Slytherin_ brother, who was probably the only thing he loved in this entire house. His brother, who ignored him at school, but didn't participate in any teasing. HIs brother, whom he taught how to fly on a broom, his brother, who had just told him to _go._

"Thank you."

Regulus nodded, his jaw clenched tight.

Sirius walked to his brother, memorizing his brother's face. He finally wrapped his arms around him.

"I love you, Reggie," he said dully, and let go.

Sirius spelled his trunk shut, and carried it the door. Glancing one more time at the dismal walls of his childhood home, of the door to his father's study that Orion had locked himself into, he sighed.

He walked to the door, about to open it, when he heard Regulus say, "you too, Siri."

* * *

Regulus never forgot that day. Never.

He'd promised himself that night he would forever be on his brother's side. He hadn't done anything to help Sirius when he was at home and that would always haunt him, but he could do something now.

So when his parents gleefully introduced him to the idea of becoming a Death Eater, he said yes because what other way to make his brother proud than to help take down the same _Lord Voldemort_ he knew Sirius was planning to fight against, from the inside?

* * *

Thanks for reading, review if you liked it!


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